Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Charles Clarke) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The Home Office Autumn Performance Report 2005 has been published today by command of Her Majesty. Copies of the report are available in the Vote Office and in the Library. The report is also available on the Home Office website.
	The report sets out the progress we have made towards achieving our public service agreement targets.
	The report shows that we have made significant progress against our targets. Overall crime is down by 12 per cent, and the fear of crime has fallen. In the year to September 2005 we have brought 1.194 million offences to justice, exceeding our target for 2005–06. Police performance has improved, but there is still much to do in reforming the police services, to meet operational requirements and the public's expectations. Our drugs strategy continues to deliver real benefits to communities across the country with record numbers of drug misusing offenders entering drug treatment through the criminal justice system, and falling drug-related crime. Asylum remains under control, with sustained falls in those not only claiming asylum but those whose claims are unfounded.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: My right honourable friend the Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	This is to clarify the position of the civil settlement procedure for serious tax evasion offences, known commonly among tax professionals as "Hansard", following the introduction within HM Revenue and Customs of a new single procedure on the 1 September 2005 for dealing with cases of fraud civilly.
	Both former HM Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue had procedures for tackling serious acts of evasion using civil sanctions. Following the creation of HMRC, it is important for the efficient and effective administration of the tax system that there should be a single process to resolve both direct and indirect tax losses where they result from the same fraudulent behaviour.
	HMRC reviewed their procedures and following consultation with external stakeholders introduced a new single procedure for handling fraud cases civilly on 1 September 2005. This builds on and replaces former procedures inherited from both former departments such as the Revenue's "Hansard" and Customs' VAT "New Approach".
	With effect from that date, previous procedures will not be used for cases of suspected fraud, but they will continue to be used on cases commenced under these procedures prior to 1 September 2005.
	A new code of practice 9 (2005) has been introduced in respect of these procedures and a copy is being placed in the House of Commons Library.